Nerida
by TriniGirl'94
Summary: Continues from where Mark of Athena ends. Percy and Annabeth are trapped in Tartarus when they meet a fellow demigod with a secret. Will she help the team defeat Gaia or will she be their destruction? P.s. This is my first fanfiction so constructive criticism is welcome. I own nothing except my OC.


Percy was in a kitchen that smelled of chocolate chip cookies and brownies. It reminded him of his mother and made him feel a little homesick. There was a girl opening the oven to check on her cookies and since she had her back to him she seemed to be oblivious to his presence. He walked around the kitchen trying to figure out where he was. Usually these dreams helped him in battle or warned him of coming danger and he was always invisible which is why he was surprised when the girl turned around, dropped her tray of cookies and screamed.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked.

"Wait…you can see me?" Percy was seriously confused.

"Of course I can see you." the girl sounded annoyed "That's not the impossible part. How are you here in my dream? I've never seen you before."

"You're dream?" Percy was vaguely aware of how dumfounded he sounded, but he didn't care at that point.

"Yes. My dream" the girl talked slowly and loudly as if Percy was mentally challenged, or at least an idiot. Percy chose to ignore this and took a moment to really look at the girl. She was tall with extremely long, curly black hair that looked like it had never been cut. She had a small button nose, and almond shaped eyes that were, Percy noticed with caution, the exact same color as his. The girl looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"You going to answer my question? How did you get into my dream?" The girl had walked closer to Percy and examined him as if trying to figure out why he even existed.

"I don't know, okay. I thought this was my dream." Percy answered.

The girl started to say something but then looked into Percy's eyes and stopped short. "What did you say you're name was?"

"I didn't" Percy paused then made a decision. "Percy Jackson."

The girl gasped and then staggered back. "It's you. It's really you."

"What are you talking about? Do you know me?" Percy stepped towards her but she kept backing away.

"He must have sent you. That's the only way you can be here. Only a god could send you, and only He would." The girl's eyes got big and glassy. She looked like she was about to cry and if there was anything Percy was bad at, it was handling crying girls.

Percy held his hands out, palms up, as if to say 'I come in peace, please stop crying.' He slowly inched towards her, "What's your name?"

The girl looked up, blinked, and seemed to calm down a bit at this question. "Nerida" she answered.

Percy nodded, "That's a pretty name. Do you have a last one?"

Nerida shook her head. "No, I was never given one."

Percy raised his eyebrow at that but said nothing. "Okay Nerida, I don't know how I ended up here but I must be here for a reason.

Nerida nodded her head enthusiastically. "Of course, you were sent to save me."

Percy shook his head "Save you from what? Chocolate chip cookies?"

Nerida stared at him in disbelief. "Haven't you listened to anything I've been saying?" Percy shook his head. "This is a dream, Percy Jackson."

Percy nodded his head. "Okay." Percy preferred to think that he sounded as if he knew what she meant, even though he didn't have a clue.

Nerida sighed, "In reality, I am sleeping on a cold floor in a prison in the middle of Tartarus. I haven't spoken to anyone in years, not even in my dreams. You must be in Tartarus somewhere, or else you couldn't be in my dream. You must save me, Percy Jackson."

"Wait a minute. Tartarus?!" Percy immediately started backing away. "What did you do to get imprisoned in Tartarus?"

Nerida's eyes were sad, "Nothing, Percy Jackson. Zeus himself banished me here when I was only 4 years old. At that age, I was innocent. I did nothing wrong, yet Zeus became paranoid and took me from my mother's arms to deliver me into Tartarus."

Percy hesitated, "He must have had a reason"

Nerida smiled sadly, "Oh of course, it would be foolish to do such a horrible act without reason." Percy thought he detected a hint of sarcasm, but Nerida continued on before he could deliberate. "It all started with a prophecy told by Apollo himself. It was a prophecy about a coming war with mother earth. A war that the gods could potentially lose."

Percy nodded grimly, "I know the war you speak of."

Nerida continued on, "Hearing of the prophecy, Zeus went to see the Fates and they told him that there was a weapon. A weapon that would be either their destruction or salvation."

Percy listened intently. If there was a weapon that could defeat Gaea, why hadn't Chiron told him of it? "What kind of weapon was it?" he asked.

At this, Nerida smiled. "The Gods expected it to be a physical object, but they got a surprise because the weapon turned out to be a demigod." At this Nerida's smile fell and her eyes became fierce. "A demigod who was taken from her mother and thrown into Tartarus so that no one would ever get ahold of her."

"Wait, so you mean the weapon was you?" Percy asked, incredulously.

Nerida laughed, "No need to sound so surprised Jackson."

Percy smiled sheepishly and Nerida continued her story. "Zeus declared me extremely dangerous because of my human emotions. He convinced the other gods that I was too unpredictable and it was better to keep me hidden in Tartarus, lest I turn out to be the god's destruction. So that's my story Percy, what will you do?"

"Who is your godly parent?" asked Percy.

"What?" Nerida was surprised at the question.

"You said that the weapon turned out to be a demigod and that demigod ended up being you. So who is your godly mother or father?" Percy explained.

"I don't know." Nerida answered sadly. "Besides, I don't think any god would want to claim me."

Percy was about to say something but he could hear Anabeth calling his name, and he could feel himself waking up. "I don't know how to find you, Nerida. I don't think I can save you." Percy was genuinely sad about it.

Nerida just smiled. "He wouldn't have sent you if you weren't going to save me. You'll find me Percy Jackson, but when you do, you must understand the gravity of the situation. The gods will not be happy with you rescuing me. I will understand if you are too scared of the gods to save me, but do not come to say goodbye. It will only make my life harder. Go Percy Jackson and think about it." Nerida's voice faded as Percy woke up, only to have Anabeth pull on his arm and yell "Run!"


End file.
